The IPL-Gate

The finals of the IPL 3 got over with Chennai Super Kings turning out better on the D-Day. Though the on-field activities have concluded, the off-field activities have just begun. A Tweet from Lalit Modi kick started a non-stop 24x7 soap opera which ran on all TV channels till his suspension. A record of a sort.

The Tweet has snowballed quickly, rolling out victims and projecting many more possible victims. Too many things have been said in all types of Media, in the name of ‘Sources’. The media has the right to speculate and they have been on the button. The media has always conducted their trails faster and passed their judgments almost instantly in their own candid way. Coincidentally, the Media has been an indirect beneficiary of IPL-Gate capturing more eye-balls and high TRP ratings. Even the followers of Lalit Modi in Twitter have gone up by 90% since this saga started.

Sashi Tharoor, A career diplomat, but for the disfavor shown by US and other countries, should have been the UN Secretary General. was forced to resign from the Government. Lalit Modi who was the Warren Buffett of Cricket was suspended without even given a chance to meet the Governing Council. So, it is one down and one referred to the third umpire.

The media has several allegations all through their so called ‘Sources’ and the BCCI to its part has laid down a set of allegations in their show-cause notice to Lalit Modi. The most devastating of them is match fixing. This is the only one that is related to Cricket as such. The rest are all legal and moral issues. It took lot of time for the cricketing world to come out of the previous match-fixing scandal. Surely, no cricket lover would want to go through it again. This will drive away fans.

Enough has been said about the allegations in the media leaving very little to speculate. Every one in India seems to be having an opinion and are taking sides; Modi, BCCI, Congress, BJP. Those who have taken the cricket field and played the game in India would surely tend to be against BCCI and the way IPL was conducted. BCCI has always been alleged to have swept things under the carpet and it is more likely that they might try to keep the legacy going.

Those in the BCCI who are not worried about the next election can bring in the changes and clean up the mess they are into. This is an opportunity for the well-wishers of Indian Cricket to set things right and to have proper systems in place.

Chirayu Amin has been named as the interim IPL Chairman. The BCCI believes that his background as Chairman and Managing Director of Alembic Pharmaceuticals would be useful in running the IPL. Ironically, Amin was part of the Governing Council since IPL started and one would have expected him to verify all Business Deals of IPL.

Critics often play a major role in the improvement of an individual. The same applies to organizations as well. In the past, players like Gavaskar, Shastri and Pataudi have been outspoken about the way BCCI was conducting its affairs and were acting like self-appointed watchdog of BCCI. BCCI inducted them as paid members of the IPL Governing Council and they have never been the same again. One wonders if BCCI bought out the critic in these Gentlemen.

The Governing Council of the IPL is a mix of Industrialist, Lawyers, Politicians, Administrators and Former Cricketers. One would have expected each one of them to have played their role in managing the IPL properly and systematically. But it does not seem so. For any personal allegations like Kick-backs, arms-twisting, match-fixing, etc, Lalit Modi should be personally answerable. For the rest of the allegations it would be reasonable to say that the Governing Council did not do their job enough and hence should be made answerable as well.

The IPL brand might have some stains on it but the Game is reasonably safe unless match-fixing allegations come true. The IPL will not be the same even if Lalit Modi gets a reprieve. The advertisers will be more watchful and skeptical in putting their Money in IPL till things clear up. India is the biggest market for the Game of Cricket. For the betterment of World Cricket, BCCI should clean up everything, have systems in place and deploy right people in the right job, even if this means saying NO to any political pressures and obligations

With Money comes Power and with Power comes responsibility. BCCI should understand this simple rule. Cricket should win and for that to happen, BCCI and the Government should do all that is possible to clear all skeletons and dusts. Until this happens, this IPL-Gate enigma will remain for ever and is bound to haunt India in future.